Flood signal alarm



May 2, 1933. J. R. HARPER FLOOD SIGNAL ALARM Filed Aug. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I b. b7

1111 J Kb A TTORNEY May 2, 1933. i j R HARPER 1,907,326)

FLOOD SIGNAL ALARM Filed Aug. 15, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LIIIIIIIIIILJZ I Patented May 2, 1933 i STTES PATENT QFFICE JAMES ROSCOE HARPER, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA FLOOD SIGNAL ALARM.

Application filed August 15, 1928.

In this specification, and the accompanying drawings, I shall describe and show a preferred form of my invention; and specifically mention certain of its more important objects. I do not limit myself to the forms disclosed, since various changes and adaptations may be made therein without departing from the essence of my invention as hereinafter claimed; and objects and advantages, other, than those specifically mentioned, are included within its scope.

My invention relates to a flood signal alarm adapted to automatically give an alarm upon the breaking of a dam or other structure by which a reservoir or other body of water is confined or held in check.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which will be adapted for convenient installing upon, or in connection with, dams or other structures for confining bodies of water, without it being necessary to make any considerable change or alteration in such structures as they already exist.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic signal apparatus of this character which will combine in an advantageous manner, a plurality of separate cooperating signal circuits so that if the alarm to be sounded by one of such circuits for any reason fails to function, the other alarms will serve to furnish the required warning.

A further object is to provide a device which, upon the breaking of the dam or like structure, will very quickly put into operation a siren or other alarm, the device being so constructed that such alarm will continue to sound until the watchman or other person in charge operates the switch to cut it out of circuit.

A still further object is to construct an apparatus of the class to which the invention pertains which is peculiarly adapted to be applied to and operated in conjunction with the turrets or watch towers of dams and like structures, and which may always be conveniently inspected by the person in charge to insure that the parts of the apparatus are at all times in condition to operate properly.

Serial No. 29,753.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of switch-operating devlces, one of said devices being operable by the fall of the water level in case of the dam breaking, and another of said devices being operable directly by the rupture of the wall of the dam.

Other objects and advantages may hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the complete apparatus showing the same applied to a dam having an observation tower at each Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating so the operation of a hinge joint with which one of the switch operating elements is provided.

Referring in detail to the drawings, upon each of the towers 1 is mounted a cabin 2 surrounded by a platform 3, said towers being in spaced relation to each other and being located at each end of the dam or crosswall 4. Said towers 1 have supported between them a bridge 5 which forms a combined support and guide for the float-operated circuit-making and circuit-breaking elements which will presently be described.

The bridge 5 is provided at or near its center with a vertical guiding sleeve 6 through which plays an upright float-rod 7 to the lower portion of which is secured a relatively large float 9 by means of a set screw 10 which is tapped into an upward extension 11 with which said float is provided. Said float is preferably a shell of copper, brass or other non-corrosive metal. It is of suflicient size to buoy up the rod 7 together with the parts carried thereby, and when the water level falls to allow the float to descend, the Weight of the float combined with that of said rod pulls down upon the flexible connections 12, to operate the signal devices about to be described.

The float 9 is provided with a pair of up wardly extending apertured ears 13, each of these ears having secured thereto the lower end of one of the connections 12, said connections each being lead over a pulley 14 mounted upon a downwardly extending bracket 15 secured to the lower side of the bridge 5. Said connections 12 are preferably identical in construction and arrangement, hence a description of one will suffice for both. After being led over pulley 14 each connection 12 is extended horizontally out from the center of the dam to a pulley 16 within the tower 1 at that side, and after being passed under said pulley is led up to the cabin 2 within which it is arranged as shown diagrammatically in Figure 2.

Referring to the mechanism operated by the connections 12, 2O designates a governor the shaft 21 of which has secured thereto an operating pulley 22 over which the connection 12 is led, the terminal portion 12a of said connection having secured thereto a weight 126, which keeps said connection taut and which causes upward and downward movements of float 9 to rotate governor 20.

The governors 20 are each provided with a convex head or thrust member 25 which contacts with the switch arm 26 at that side of the apparatus. Said switch is provided with a hinge 27 the joint of which is sufficiently tight yieldingly to maintain said switch arm in the adjusted position. Opposite to switch arm 26 is a terminal 28 from which leads wire 29, current from which operates the red search-light 30 and the siren 31 in circuit therewith.

Said search-light and siren are duplicated at each side of the apparatus, the current therefor being desirably supplied by the battery 32 located upon the connecting wire 33, said battery being charged through conductors 32w. Arms 26 are united by a wire 260.

Upon the upper end of float rod 7 is mounted an insulating head 35 carrying at each end a saddle-shaped circuit closing member 36, said members 36 being connected by a conducting rod 37 but being insulated from the float rod 7 by said insulating head 35. A safe margin of normal rise and fall of the water in the dam is provided by reason of the distance between the lower portion of each saddle-shaped member 36 and the cable 37 which is provided therebeneath.

The circuit closing members 36 are so po- The downward descent of float rod 7 is arrested by its collar 70 encountering the top of bushing 6. WVhen the latter occurs there is a positive closing of the circuit by reason of the saddle-shaped members 36 engaging cable 37. The circuit closing means just described may be depended upon to detect a dangerous escape of water from the dam through a break which may not affect the upper portion of the wall of the dam.

Below its bearings 7 0 and 6 the float rod 7 is provided with a hinge 39, the operation of which is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5. The purpose of said hinge is to permit the lower portion of said float rod to flex with respect to the upper portion thereof in case the breaking of the dam causes a current of water to exert lateral pressure upon the float. If this occurs, the removal of the buoyant action of float will permit the upper portion of the float rod to descend quickly in its bearings, thus causing quick rotation of the governor 20, which will therefore efliciently perform its intended function, as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out when the operation is described in detail.

The cables 37 are insulated from the towers by means of the insulators 37 a and 37 b and thence are continued upwardly and form a part of a circuit for operating the search-light 30 and the siren 31.

The bridge 5 is desirably of the suspension type in order that it may be conveniently supported between the towers. The towers are preferably formed of structural steel and are of considerable height. They may be surmounted by means of ladders 65.

In order to make it doubly certain that the alarms which have been described will be sounded when the water falls to such an extent as to indicate breaking of the dam, the safety devices illustrated in Fig. 2 are also provided and are connected with said alarms by means of the conductors 45 and 46. These latter safety devices consist of a series of eyeleted arms 47 which are loosely looped over a conductor wire 48, the other ends of said arms 47 extending into a series of sleeves 49, said sleeves having flanged bases 50 whereby they are secured to the side or face of wall 4 which is next to the body of water confined thereby. Said sleeves enclose on all sides the otherwise free ends of said rods, thus normally holding them positively out of contact with the conductor 51 which is located between the con- Cluctor 48 and the wall of the dam.

Between the wall 4 and the supporting rod 48 is mounted a conducting rod or wire 51 which is parallel to rod 48 and is sufliciently near thereto to be engaged by the eyeleted arms 47 when the latter are released from the sleeves 49.

In case the dam gives way and releases the pivoted arms 47 so that they drop upon the inner wire or rod 51, a circuit is completed through the battery 55, auxiliary light 56 and auxiliary horn 57. The conductors 45, 46 are provided to connect the circuit last described with that first described, so that if the float 9 and its rod 7 should fail to operate, the search-lights and sirens first described would, nevertheless, be put into operation.

It is to be understood that, in addition to the Warning audible and visible signals that have been described, additional warning signals may be provided for the area which is safe-guarded by the apparatus and these additional signals may be along lines of wire which may be extended for long distances from the site of the dam or other structure where the actuating elements of the apparatus are located, and should be placed near enough to each other to be clearly audible throughout the entire danger area.

Operation: If a serious break of the dam occurs, completely sweeping away a section thereof, sleeves 49 are withdrawn from switch arms 47 thus permitting the freed ends of said arms to drop and close the electric circuit through conducting wires 51, thereby sounding an audible signal 31 and also operating a visual signal 30. Simultaneously with the breaking of said wall, additional switches 26 are closed. This is brought about as a result of the falling of the float being accelerated by the flexion of the float-rod at its hinge, thus automatically setting into rapid rotation the operating pulleys and shafts of the centrifugal governors 20; the consequent rapid rotation of said governors causes their convex heads to move the switch arms 20 mounted upon the friction hinges 27, until said friction arms contact with the terminals 25 of the conductor wires 29, thus energizing the lamps 30 and the motor-driven sirens 31. Simultaneously with the onrush of water from the dam, float-rod 7 carrying the float 9 is deflected from its upright supporting axis, thus causing a sudden drop of its cross-head 34 together with the circuit-closing members 36, which immediately closes the circuit by con tacting with the two-part conductor 37.

If the dam is in close proximity to a hydro-electric plant, the auxiliary wires 3210 may be connected in series with the main circuits of the lines running from the station of such plant. However, as a safeguard for dams which are in isolated situations and are used privately for irrigation and water storage, in order to safeguard the public, storage batteries as shown in said circuit may be supplied to generate suflicient power to operate the lights and signals shown, as well as additional lights and signals throughout the protected area, should disaster occur.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a cohesive heteroge .7

neous wall to restrain a body of water; of a conductor extending along the upper side of said wall in spaced relation thereto, a plurality of arms having pivotal connections with said conductor, means mounted on the upper side of said wall normally to support one end of said arms while the other end of said arms is supported by said conductor, a second conductor engageable by any one of said arms if the adjacent portion of the recited supporting means be moved away from said conductors thereby to complete an electric circuit through said conductors when the second mentioned conductor is engaged by said arms, anchoring means for said conductors to an indestructible portion of the abutment adjacent said wall, and an alarm in said circuit, said second conductor being positioned between said wall and the conductor to which said arms are pivotally related.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall made of a cohered heterogeneous mass to restrain a body of water, of an electric conductor extending along the upper side of said wall in spaced relation thereto, a plurality of switch arms each of which is pivoted at one end to said conductor, a second conductor nearer to said wall than the first named conductor and engageable with each of said switch arms, a plurality of open ended sleeves mounted on the inner side of said wall normally to support the free ends of each of said switch arms normally to keep them out of engagement with said second conductor until permitted to connect one of said conductors with the other when any one of said switch arms is released, means for indestructibly supporting said conductors, and an alarm operable by the closing of the circuit when said wall recedes from said conductors permitting one or more of said switch arms to complete the circuit.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a wall made of concrete to restrain a body of water; of a rod of conducting material mounted in spaced relation to said wall and at a distance above the base thereof, an arm of conducting material pivoted to said rod, a support for the free end of said arm attached to said wall, the free end of said arm being releasible from said support by the movement of said wall away from said rod, another conductor between said Wall and said rod engageable by said arm when the latter is released, supporting or anchoring means for said conductors supported by the structure or such part of the dam wall as will not be destroyed in case of a failure of the dam proper, a circuit of which said conductors fprm a part, and an alarm in said circuit.

4. In a device of the class described, a concrete dam wall structure, a circuit closing switch arm and means to detachably support an end thereof, a conductor fastenable to an indestructible portion of said structure engageable by said switch arm, supporting means for said switch arm comprising a second conductor fastenable to an indestructible portion of said structure, said means supporting the free end of said switch arm being attached to the side of the wall of the dam nearest to said switch arm in such a. manner whereby said switch arm may gravitate to circuit closing position with the first said conductor when said wall recedes therefrom, said switch and said conductors being included in an electric circuit, and a signal actuable by the closing of said switch.

JAMES ROSGOE HARPER. 

